Ted McMinn
Encyclopedia
Kevin Clifton "Ted" McMinn (born 28 September 1962) is a Scottish former association footballer who played as a winger. His nickname
is The Tin Man.
and raised in nearby Dumfries
, Kevin Clifton McMinn was alleged by The Scotsman
to be called 'Teddy' at school because he ran as if he had a teddy bear tucked under his arm. In his autobiography McMinn stated it was because as a toddler he and his teddy bear were inseparable.
McMinn started his playing career at Scottish junior side Glenafton Athletic
in 1981. McMinn joined Glenafton from Dumfries High School FPs along with team mare Stewart Cochrane
.
club Queen of the South
in 1982. At Queens he became a tea mate of Cochrane's for the third time. The transfer fee was, "£325 so that Glenafton could buy a new carpet for their club house and 1,000 Queens lottery tickets." When McMinn debuted in 1982–83 it was for a Queens team who had just been relegated after one season in the middle of Scottish football's three divisions – a season where Willie Harkness and his fellow directors had decided to run the club without a manager and select the team themselves. McMinn's debut was in the 1–1 draw versus Meadowbank Thistle on 6 November. McMinn remained with Queens until October 1984.
McMinn returned to Palmerston Park under the new regime of Norman Blount
to play for a Queen of the South select on 23 April 1995. The opposition in the 2–2 draw was Rangers in a game to mark Queens' 75th anniversary and the opening of the new stand. Other guests for Queens included Andy Thomson
, Davie Irons
and Rowan Alexander
.
When later interviewed for the club, Jimmy Robertson, Alan Davidson
and George Cloy
were among those McMinn named as the best players he played beside at Palmerston.
side Rangers
, managed by Jock Wallace
, signed him for £100,000. His style of wing play quickly made McMinn a fans favourite at Ibrox
as per previous Rangers wingers such as Davie Wilson
, Willie Henderson
, Willie Johnston
and Davie Cooper
. McMinn was also noted for his performances against Rangers' rivals Celtic
, playing in a number of Old Firm
matches including the 1987 League Cup
final win.
McMinn's debut came as a substitute on Saturday, 13 October 1984 in a 2–0 win at St Mirren
. In McMinn's full Rangers debut against Dumbarton
at Boghead
he scored direct from a corner kick.
Former team mate Derek Ferguson
recalled, "I'll never forget playing with Ted in a reserve game at Ibrox. He was running down the wing full speed and crossed the ball into the box. He just kept running so he had to jump over a wall into the Copland Road stand, carried on up the stairs then disappeared down the other side."
Graeme Souness
succeeded Jock Wallace as Rangers manager in April 1986. Souness went on to remark, "How can I tell Ted McMinn what to do when he doesn't know what he's going to do?" Rangers were Scottish Champions in 1986–87 for the first time in nine seasons. Under Souness McMinn had not played enough league games to qualify for a medal.
McMinn was involved in an incident outside an East Kilbride
nightclub in the early hours of 5 December 1986. McMinn believes the incident led to his own removal from the club by his manager Graeme Souness. McMinn later said of his time at Rangers, "Davie Cooper was my hero and we got on well." He added, "I wasn't getting on with Souness. I was stepping out of line too often.'
on 1 August 1987, again signed by Jock Wallace. A Spanish journalist observed, "With his inelegant Tin Man running style, erratic crossing and unquenchable zest for lager, he was the soul of football.
He broke his leg three weeks after signing but he recovered to play 22 league games. The departure from the club of Wallace unsettled McMinn. Despite public protests at his impending departure McMinn decided to return to the U.K.
by joining Derby County
. This was on 5 February 1988 for £300,000 where he also became a fans favourite. He arrived at the Baseball Ground
in Derby's first season back in the First Division after a seven-year exile.
Arthur Cox landed the flying winger and was rewarded with a series of outstanding performances from the Scotsman. McMinn's Derby debut came in a 2–1 defeat at Portsmouth
the day after he signed. The home debut came in a 2–1 defeat by Manchester United in which he scored the best goal of his career. Along with Peter Shilton
, Mark Wright and Dean Saunders
the club finished fifth in 1989. With English clubs banned from Europe at the time McMinn missed out on a UEFA Cup
place.
In November 1989 – with McMinn on the verge of a call-up to the national side ahead of the 1990 FIFA World Cup
– he was struck by a serious knee injury in an away game against Tottenham Hotspur. McMinn was out for 14 months.
A lack of further investment from chairman Robert Maxwell
led to a decline shortly after. The Rams were relegated at the end of the 1990–91 season
(with McMinn making his return to the side in the January), just after Maxwell sold the club to new owner Lionel Pickering
.
McMinn was back to his best form in 1991/92 when he was named as the club’s player of the year, having helped them to the playoff semi finals. They were knocked out by eventual winners Blackburn Rovers managed by Kenny Dalglish
and bankrolled by Jack Walker.
He remained with the Rams for a further season, 1992–93
, playing 19 league games and scoring twice as the Rams finished eighth – a major disappointment for a side who began the season as promotion favourites. He left on 28 July 1993 in a £115,000 move to Birmingham City
.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=42084
In November 2004 Igor Stimac
was voted Derby County's all-time cult hero by BBC's Football Focus
viewers. Stimac won with 59% of the vote, ahead of Ted McMinn who came second with 30%.
signing on 28 July 1993.
on 5 April 1994 for two years. Burnley were on a push for promotion that saw them achieve a play off place. McMinn played in the play off final 2–1 victory at Wembley against Stockport County before a crowd of 44,806.
Despite only two seasons at Turf Moor
McMinn came third in the BBC Football Focus Burnley cult heroes poll behind Jimmy McIlroy
and Leighton James.
and then Slough Town
.
.
Wright left to manage his former club Oxford United
in June 2001. McMinn went with him. Oxford had just been relegated to the 4th tier of English Football. After an unremarkable start to the season Wright parted with the club in December amid allegations of racial abuse against a match official. Again McMinn followed Wright out the door.
McMinn appeared again on 17 January 2002 when Wright soon took over at Conference
strugglers Chester City
. The club avoided relegation as the pair set about turning the club's fortunes around. McMinn then parted company with both Wright and Chester when he departed in July 2002.
, working alongside Ross Fletcher. In his three years with the station he attended all Derby County's matches.
McMinn contracted a mystery infection that led to most of his right foot being amputated
. McMinn then opted to have more of his leg removed in a bid to gain more mobility and independence with a prosthetic limb. As a tribute to McMinn, on 1 May 2006, former players of both Derby County and Rangers contested a match at Derby County's Pride Park Stadium
in which a record 33,475 spectators attended – around 10,000 of them being Rangers fans. McMinn said to the Scottish press that he had also received well wishes from Queen of the South fans. Terry Butcher
recalled after the benefit game, "Nigel Spackman
said to the physio (at the match) he had a tight calf, Ted said 'So have I' and lifted his trouser leg up and there is just the metal stump there. It does make you think. You never know what can happen to you."
To coincide with the benefit game McMinn embarked on a 300 mile sponsored bike ride from Glasgow to Derby to help raise money for the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary
's limbs unit.
He left Radio Derby after only the first game of the 2007–08 season
, saying he felt "let down" and undervalued by the station following contract negotiations.
It was announced in the Derby Evening Telegraph
on 13 February 2007 that McMinn has started up a courier and taxi business.
The "Wisden Cricketer" magazine reports that in 2011 McMinn is now employed as full-time kit-man by Derbys CCC
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
is The Tin Man.
Early years
Born in Castle DouglasCastle Douglas
Castle Douglas , a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part of Galloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.-History:...
and raised in nearby Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, Kevin Clifton McMinn was alleged by The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
to be called 'Teddy' at school because he ran as if he had a teddy bear tucked under his arm. In his autobiography McMinn stated it was because as a toddler he and his teddy bear were inseparable.
McMinn started his playing career at Scottish junior side Glenafton Athletic
Glenafton Athletic F.C.
Glenafton Athletic are a Scottish football club, based in New Cumnock, Ayrshire. Formed in 1930, their history has been characterised by local success, with some national success too.-History:...
in 1981. McMinn joined Glenafton from Dumfries High School FPs along with team mare Stewart Cochrane
Stewart Cochrane
Stewart Cochrane is a Scottish ex professional footballer who played for home town club Queen of the South. Cochrane was a forward.-Background:...
.
Queen of the South
McMinn returned to south-west Scotland joining DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
club Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
in 1982. At Queens he became a tea mate of Cochrane's for the third time. The transfer fee was, "£325 so that Glenafton could buy a new carpet for their club house and 1,000 Queens lottery tickets." When McMinn debuted in 1982–83 it was for a Queens team who had just been relegated after one season in the middle of Scottish football's three divisions – a season where Willie Harkness and his fellow directors had decided to run the club without a manager and select the team themselves. McMinn's debut was in the 1–1 draw versus Meadowbank Thistle on 6 November. McMinn remained with Queens until October 1984.
McMinn returned to Palmerston Park under the new regime of Norman Blount
Norman Blount
Norman Blount is the Scottish former chairman of Queen of the South football club. Blount was instrumental as the new broom that swept through the Dumfries club in the mid and late 90s replacing the previous regime under which the club had gone into stagnation and decline from the late 1960s...
to play for a Queen of the South select on 23 April 1995. The opposition in the 2–2 draw was Rangers in a game to mark Queens' 75th anniversary and the opening of the new stand. Other guests for Queens included Andy Thomson
Andy Thomson (Scottish footballer)
Andrew "Andy" Thomson is a former Scottish professional football player. He played in 549 league matches, scoring 195 league goals in a career that saw him play for Queen of the South, Partick Thistle, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir in Scotland and Southend United, Oxford United, Gillingham and...
, Davie Irons
Davie Irons
David John "Davie" Irons is a Scottish former professional footballer who has transitioned to football management.His playing career spanned 26 years as a central defender or midfielder...
and Rowan Alexander
Rowan Alexander
Rowan Samuel Alexander is a former footballer and ex-manager of one-time Scottish Football League club Gretna.He is currently assistant manager at Ayrshire junior side .-Queen of the South:...
.
When later interviewed for the club, Jimmy Robertson, Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (Scottish footballer)
Alan Davidson is a former Scottish football goalkeeper. Davidson is the son of former FIFA referee Bob Davidson.-Early years:...
and George Cloy
George Cloy
George Cloy is former professional footballer who played his entire 12 year senior career with Dumfries side Queen of the South Cloy also played for Kello Rovers, Threave Rovers, Dalbeattie Star and Crichton...
were among those McMinn named as the best players he played beside at Palmerston.
Rangers
GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
side Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, managed by Jock Wallace
Jock Wallace
John "Jock" Martin Bokas Wallace was a professional Scottish football player and manager. His father, Jock Wallace, Sr., was a goalkeeper for Raith Rovers, Blackpool and Derby County....
, signed him for £100,000. His style of wing play quickly made McMinn a fans favourite at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
as per previous Rangers wingers such as Davie Wilson
Davie Wilson
Davie Wilson is a Scottish former international footballer who played as a left winger.-Career:Wilson made just under 400 league appearances during his twelve-year playing career, making 22 appearances for Scotland and finishing runner-up with Rangers in the inaugural UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1961...
, Willie Henderson
Willie Henderson
William "Willie" Henderson is a retired Scottish football player. He played most of his career for Rangers, and spent the latter part of his career with Sheffield Wednesday, in Hong Kong with Hong Kong Rangers and with Airdrieonians. He was a prolific winger...
, Willie Johnston
Willie Johnston
William McClure "Willie" Johnston is a Scottish former professional football player, best remembered for his time at Rangers and West Brom.-Career:...
and Davie Cooper
Davie Cooper
David "Davie" Cooper was a professional football player. He was a Scotland international and played as a left winger....
. McMinn was also noted for his performances against Rangers' rivals Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, playing in a number of Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
matches including the 1987 League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
final win.
McMinn's debut came as a substitute on Saturday, 13 October 1984 in a 2–0 win at St Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
. In McMinn's full Rangers debut against Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
at Boghead
Boghead
Boghead is a small village in South Lanarkshire, west central Scotland. It is about southeast of Glasgow and sits nearby to the Avon Water. Boghead is a residential area, with working residents commuting to nearby villages and large towns of Lesmahagow, Strathaven and Lanark. It is composed of...
he scored direct from a corner kick.
Former team mate Derek Ferguson
Derek Ferguson
Derek Ferguson is a Scottish football manager and former player.A creative midfielder, he is best remembered for his time with Rangers and Heart of Midlothian and made two appearances for the Scottish national side. He is the elder brother of current Birmingham City midfielder Barry Ferguson...
recalled, "I'll never forget playing with Ted in a reserve game at Ibrox. He was running down the wing full speed and crossed the ball into the box. He just kept running so he had to jump over a wall into the Copland Road stand, carried on up the stairs then disappeared down the other side."
Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
succeeded Jock Wallace as Rangers manager in April 1986. Souness went on to remark, "How can I tell Ted McMinn what to do when he doesn't know what he's going to do?" Rangers were Scottish Champions in 1986–87 for the first time in nine seasons. Under Souness McMinn had not played enough league games to qualify for a medal.
McMinn was involved in an incident outside an East Kilbride
East Kilbride
East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
nightclub in the early hours of 5 December 1986. McMinn believes the incident led to his own removal from the club by his manager Graeme Souness. McMinn later said of his time at Rangers, "Davie Cooper was my hero and we got on well." He added, "I wasn't getting on with Souness. I was stepping out of line too often.'
Sevilla
McMinn joined Spanish club SevillaSevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
on 1 August 1987, again signed by Jock Wallace. A Spanish journalist observed, "With his inelegant Tin Man running style, erratic crossing and unquenchable zest for lager, he was the soul of football.
He broke his leg three weeks after signing but he recovered to play 22 league games. The departure from the club of Wallace unsettled McMinn. Despite public protests at his impending departure McMinn decided to return to the U.K.
Derby County
McMinn emulated fellow ex Queen of the South player Hughie GallacherHughie Gallacher
Hugh Kilpatrick "Hughie" Gallacher was a Scottish football player in the 1920s and 1930s. In 624 senior games, Gallacher scored 463 times....
by joining Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. This was on 5 February 1988 for £300,000 where he also became a fans favourite. He arrived at the Baseball Ground
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby County Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 1997. It was commonly referred to as the "BBG".As the name suggests, the stadium was...
in Derby's first season back in the First Division after a seven-year exile.
Arthur Cox landed the flying winger and was rewarded with a series of outstanding performances from the Scotsman. McMinn's Derby debut came in a 2–1 defeat at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
the day after he signed. The home debut came in a 2–1 defeat by Manchester United in which he scored the best goal of his career. Along with Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
, Mark Wright and Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
the club finished fifth in 1989. With English clubs banned from Europe at the time McMinn missed out on a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
place.
In November 1989 – with McMinn on the verge of a call-up to the national side ahead of the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
– he was struck by a serious knee injury in an away game against Tottenham Hotspur. McMinn was out for 14 months.
A lack of further investment from chairman Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
led to a decline shortly after. The Rams were relegated at the end of the 1990–91 season
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
(with McMinn making his return to the side in the January), just after Maxwell sold the club to new owner Lionel Pickering
Lionel Pickering
Lionel Victor Pickering was an English businessman, best known as the owner of Derby County F.C. between 1991 and 2003...
.
McMinn was back to his best form in 1991/92 when he was named as the club’s player of the year, having helped them to the playoff semi finals. They were knocked out by eventual winners Blackburn Rovers managed by Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
and bankrolled by Jack Walker.
He remained with the Rams for a further season, 1992–93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
, playing 19 league games and scoring twice as the Rams finished eighth – a major disappointment for a side who began the season as promotion favourites. He left on 28 July 1993 in a £115,000 move to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=42084
In November 2004 Igor Stimac
Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac is a retired Croatian football player. He is now a football agent and a manager...
was voted Derby County's all-time cult hero by BBC's Football Focus
Football Focus
Football Focus is a BBC television show, broadcast on BBC One on Saturday lunchtimes, covering football, presented from the 2009/2010 season by Dan Walker...
viewers. Stimac won with 59% of the vote, ahead of Ted McMinn who came second with 30%.
Birmingham City
Ted McMinn had one season with Birmingham CityBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
signing on 28 July 1993.
Burnley
He joined BurnleyBurnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
on 5 April 1994 for two years. Burnley were on a push for promotion that saw them achieve a play off place. McMinn played in the play off final 2–1 victory at Wembley against Stockport County before a crowd of 44,806.
Despite only two seasons at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
McMinn came third in the BBC Football Focus Burnley cult heroes poll behind Jimmy McIlroy
Jimmy McIlroy
James "Jimmy" McIlroy MBE is a former football player, regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Burnley Football Club.-At Burnley:...
and Leighton James.
Later playing career
Ted McMinn ended his playing career with Australian club ECU JoondalupECU Joondalup
The ECU Joondalup Soccer Club is an Australian football club from Joondalup, Western Australia currently playing in the Premier Division in the Football West State League which is one grade lower than the Australian A-League.-History:The ECU Joondalup Soccer Club was formed in 1992 and they were...
and then Slough Town
Slough Town F.C.
Slough Town F.C. is an English semi-professional football club. The club was officially founded in 1890 after the amalgamation of three local clubs, Swifts, Slough Albion and Young Men's Friendly Society, who between them forged a new club, Slough F.C....
.
Coaching career
As assistant to Mark Wright McMinn had a spell coaching at SouthportSouthport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
.
Wright left to manage his former club Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
in June 2001. McMinn went with him. Oxford had just been relegated to the 4th tier of English Football. After an unremarkable start to the season Wright parted with the club in December amid allegations of racial abuse against a match official. Again McMinn followed Wright out the door.
McMinn appeared again on 17 January 2002 when Wright soon took over at Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
strugglers Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
. The club avoided relegation as the pair set about turning the club's fortunes around. McMinn then parted company with both Wright and Chester when he departed in July 2002.
Life after football
In 2004 McMinn became the match summariser for BBC Radio DerbyBBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Derby is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Derbyshire, covering all but the northern tip of the county, and also serves eastern Staffordshire, mainly Uttoxeter and Burton upon Trent. The station broadcasts from its studios in Derby on 104.5, 95.3 and 96.0 FM and 1116...
, working alongside Ross Fletcher. In his three years with the station he attended all Derby County's matches.
McMinn contracted a mystery infection that led to most of his right foot being amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
. McMinn then opted to have more of his leg removed in a bid to gain more mobility and independence with a prosthetic limb. As a tribute to McMinn, on 1 May 2006, former players of both Derby County and Rangers contested a match at Derby County's Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
in which a record 33,475 spectators attended – around 10,000 of them being Rangers fans. McMinn said to the Scottish press that he had also received well wishes from Queen of the South fans. Terry Butcher
Terry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
recalled after the benefit game, "Nigel Spackman
Nigel Spackman
Nigel James Spackman is an English football manager and former player. He was formerly a midfield player who was an integral part of the much-admired Liverpool team of 1988...
said to the physio (at the match) he had a tight calf, Ted said 'So have I' and lifted his trouser leg up and there is just the metal stump there. It does make you think. You never know what can happen to you."
To coincide with the benefit game McMinn embarked on a 300 mile sponsored bike ride from Glasgow to Derby to help raise money for the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary
Derbyshire Royal Infirmary
The London Road Community Hospital, , is a hospital in Derby, part of the Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It is based in the city centre...
's limbs unit.
He left Radio Derby after only the first game of the 2007–08 season
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
, saying he felt "let down" and undervalued by the station following contract negotiations.
It was announced in the Derby Evening Telegraph
Derby Evening Telegraph
The Derby Telegraph, formerly the Derby Evening Telegraph, is a daily tabloid newspaper printed and distributed in Derby, England.-History:In 1857, Richard Keene was publishing the Derby Telegraph every Saturday. His business was in Irongate...
on 13 February 2007 that McMinn has started up a courier and taxi business.
The "Wisden Cricketer" magazine reports that in 2011 McMinn is now employed as full-time kit-man by Derbys CCC
External links
- Ted McMinn full career profile on the official Queen of the South website
- Ted McMinn benefit match – Official Website
- BBC Derby news article – Tin Man recovers from foot operation
- BBC Derby news article – Ted faces second op
- Soccerbase player profile
- Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database